PMINDIA

Agricultural development, smarter farming and farmer empowerment are key to building a Viksit Bharat: PM

The solar power revolution of the PM-KUSUM scheme has transformed the country’s Annadatas into Urjadatas : PM

We move forward with the concept of ‘Lab to Land’: PM

Namo Drone Didis are demonstrating how advanced technology can be effectively used in village: PM

India offers growing opportunities in everything from agri-engineering to agri-startups. The focus is on empowering farmers to become agricultural entrepreneurs: PM

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today participated in the Kisan Tak Bharat Agriculture Conference 2026. Addressing the gathering on the occasion in the presence of agricultural scientists, agri-entrepreneurs, and farmers from across the nation, the Prime Minister commended the media group for its enthusiastic past participation in the cleanliness campaign and for dedicating two full days to organizing this innovative Kisan Mela.

Noting that the conference is taking place amid a festive atmosphere just days after Deepavali and during the ongoing Chhath Mahaparv, which is deeply rooted in agrarian life, the Prime Minister pointed out that major Indian festivals such as Bihu, Pongal, Onam, Baisakhi, Sarhul, and Pola are intrinsically tied to farming. “Meaning, agriculture and farming are our culture, our tradition, and the foundation of our social life,” observed PM Modi.

Recalling his Red Fort address on the seven streams of national strength (Saptadhara) required for a Viksit Bharat, in which agriculture serves as a primary pillar, the Prime Minister emphasized that the significance of such farmer conferences has grown manifold because national development depends directly on agricultural modernization. “The building of a Viksit Bharat is simply not possible without developing agriculture, without making farming smarter, and without empowering the farmer,” asserted Shri Modi.

Illustrating the close link between agricultural growth and national progress through a widely discussed World Bank study showing that 50 crore Indians escaped poverty in just 12 to 13 years with a sharp decline in rural poverty among small farmers and farm laborers, the Prime Minister highlighted that this period coincided with India’s agriculture sector achieving an average growth rate above 4 percent for the first decade since independence.

Observing that farmers and agricultural experts understand the necessity of continuous policy and methodological evolution, the Prime Minister  pointed out that as global markets, dietary habits, weather patterns, and technologies evolved over time, farmers needed to be empowered afresh. “Merely filling the granaries of food grains is not enough,” asserted Shri Modi.

Highlighting the steps taken over the past decade to match the pace of global agricultural change and boost farm incomes through annual agricultural exports exceeding 4 lakh crore rupees, the Prime Minister noted that India now ranks first globally in the production of milk, pulses, jute, rice, and millets, and second globally in wheat, cotton, fruits, vegetables, and fish production. “These are not merely a few figures, they show how much the capability of India’s farmers has increased,” observed PM Modi.

Emphasizing that farmer prosperity requires moving beyond traditional reliance on wheat, rice, and sugarcane, the Prime Minister stated that the government is actively promoting crop diversification and allied agricultural activities.

Tracing India’s agricultural trajectory from achieving food grain self-reliance through the Green Revolution and becoming the world’s top milk producer through the White Revolution, the Prime Minister detailed the past decade’s rapid expansion across multiple sectors, including a nearly 70 percent rise in milk output, a nearly 90 percent surge in egg production, a more than twofold increase in fish production under the Blue Revolution, a jump in honey output from around 80,000 tonnes to 1.5 lakh tonnes under the Sweet Revolution, and horticulture production rising from 280 million tonnes to over 350 million tonnes. “Today I have given you figures which show that this journey is now moving forward in a very grand manner,” noted PM Modi.

Explaining that integrating these diverse agricultural revolutions under a comprehensive vision generates multiple income streams essential for future farming, the Prime Minister spotlighted the solar power revolution under the PM KUSUM Yojana, which has provided nearly 12 lakh solar pumps to reduce electricity bills and enable farmers to earn revenue by generating solar power in their fields. “This revolution has turned the Annadata of the country into an Urjadata, and along with production in farming, we have also focused on productivity and the farmer’s profit,” asserted Shri Modi.

Recalling his recent completion of 25 years as head of a government and his continuous efforts as Chief Minister of Gujarat to modernize agriculture through grand Krishi Mahotsavs, the Prime Minister described how hundreds of agricultural scientists and experts traveled across villages in 40 to 45 degree heat to inspect farm soil, assess water availability, and advise cultivators on suitable crops and practices. “We moved forward with the concept of Lab to Land, ensuring that the knowledge present in the labs of scientists reached the farmer’s field directly, and the farmers of Gujarat got a massive benefit from this,” remarked PM Modi.

Stating that his governance experience in Gujarat proved invaluable at the national level, the Prime Minister noted that the number of soil testing labs across India has grown from a few hundred in 2014 to over 8,400 today alongside more than 725 Krishi Vigyan Kendras, while livestock health has been prioritized through a massive vaccination drive against Foot and Mouth Disease. “To protect livestock from Foot and Mouth Disease, free vaccines have been administered to the livestock of more than 8 crore farmers,” noted Shri Modi.

Challenging the outdated mindset that rural India cannot adopt advanced technology, the Prime Minister pointed out that Namo Drone Didis have proven skeptics wrong by skillfully operating drones to spray fertilizers and pesticides. “Now the scope of its use is also being expanded,” observed PM Modi.

Highlighting the expanding role of engineering in Indian agriculture as scientists, engineers, and youth collaborate to develop cost-reducing sowing and harvesting machinery alongside affordable, sensor-based and AI-equipped tools that provide precise data to even the smallest cultivators, the Prime Minister emphasized the push toward farm-level value addition and converting Annadatas into agri-preneurs across a thriving ecosystem of agri-engineering and agri-startups. “In recent years, small farmers together with the government have built a massive network of 10,000 FPOs, which is making groups of small farmers into value creators and connecting them with food processing and export markets,” noted Shri Modi.

Stressing that the government’s clear policy and intent is to ensure farming does not burden cultivators, the Prime Minister pointed out that India has spent 16 lakh crore rupees over the past 12 years to provide affordable fertilizers despite international price spikes caused by the ongoing war in Iran and the Gulf region. “A bag of DAP fertilizer which costs 5,000 rupees is being made available to the farmers of India for 1,300 rupees, and a bag of urea which costs 3,000 rupees in the international market is being given for less than 300 rupees,” observed PM Modi.

Sharing an exclusive revelation on how the government shielded farmers when the escalating West Asia war drove crude oil prices from 70 dollars to 122 dollars per barrel within weeks and created pressure to hike diesel prices by at least 50 rupees per liter while neighboring countries raised fuel rates by 40 to 50 percent, the Prime Minister stated that the government refused to pass the international market shock onto citizens and farmers, raising diesel by just 7 rupees per liter while absorbing 43 rupees per liter itself at a monthly cost of 14,000 crore rupees to date. “When the interest of the country’s farmers is paramount and when there is the spirit of Nagrik Devo Bhava, then such sensitive decisions are taken,” affirmed Shri Modi.

Concluding his address by acknowledging the monumental achievements of Indian farmers in recent years and calling for even greater efforts to build a Viksit Bharat with prosperous farmers, thriving villages, and modern, profitable agriculture, the Prime Minister expressed confidence that the deliberations at the conclave would benefit the nation before extending his best wishes. “The better suggestions and solutions that have emerged from here, the government will also work on them,” affirmed Shri Modi.